Newsletter

City Council to consider museum party policy

The Savannah City Council will consider an ordinance change today that would allow historic house museums to hold events such as parties and weddings after postponing the decision on Oct. 31.

The change would add the “assembly hall” use in several mixed-use residential districts where many historic district homes already have been holding such events, including the Harper-Fowlkes House, Davenport House and the Owens Thomas House, as well as the Charles Morris Center at Trustees Garden.

The property owners would have to go before the Zoning Board of Appeals for permission to host the event before doing so. The zoning board can impose conditions, such as hours of operation, number of events and location of loading and unloading of equipment and party attendees.

The Chatham County-Savannah Metropolitan Planning Commission recommended the change on Sept. 17 after postponing the issue at two prior meetings.

“This is really ideal in targeting each location on their merits,” said Tom Thomson, executive director of the MPC.

The matter started with the owners of the Harper-Fowlkes House, the Society of the Cincinnati’s Savannah headquarters located on Orleans Square. They sought the zoning amendment after area residents complained about the museum’s raucous parties and pointed out the use was in violation of the ordinance.

Attorney Dana Braun, who represents some of the residents who had made the initial complaints, said his clients believe the restrictions would address their concerns and support the change when the matter was presented at the last city council meeting.

Concerns from another resident expressed during the same meeting prompted the council to postpone a decision, however.

Historic Savannah Foundation CEO Daniel Carey said historic house operators and residents met on multiple occasions to work out the compromise. Carey said he hoped the council would approve the change, despite having the additional burden of petitioning the zoning board when they want to hold events at the foundation’s Davenport House.

“We want to do what we have been doing for decades without complaints from our neighbors,” he said.

IF YOU GO

WHAT: Savannah City Council

WHEN: 11 a.m. workshop; 2 p.m. regular meeting

WHERE: City Hall, 2 E. Bay St.

ONLINE: Watch the 2 p.m. meeting streamed live at savannahnow.com and follow reporter @EricCurlSMN on Twitter

CITY BUDGET RETREAT THIS WEEK

The Savannah City Council will be holding their budget retreat in Effingham County this week.

Mayor Edna Jackson and aldermen will be meeting Wednesday and Thursday, from 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and Friday, from 8:00 a.m. until the end of the agenda, at the New Ebenezer Retreat Center located at 2887 Ebenezer Road, Rincon.